The fire service's town centre station is in Caversham Road and Thames Valley Police are based less than a mile up the road in Castle Street.

In October Thames Valley Police announced Reading police station as it stands will be gone by March 2018. The force needs to achieve a budget reduction of £44.6 million over the next three years. Reading police station is bigger than the force requires and will need £5 million worth of maintenance work if they stay there.

Speaking at Monday's committee meeting Mr Fry similarly said Caversham Road station was a bigger building than was needed.

He continued: "It is a tired old building, too big for the number of firefighters who work there. We need to do something with the site."

Mr Fry said he did not have any answers yet but RBFRS was considering a number of options including conversations with Thames Valley Police about both services working from the Caversham Road site.

Thames Valley Police spokeswoman Rhianne Pope said: "We are in the early stages of looking at options to replace Reading Police Station and are working with partners to identify possible locations.

"One possible location which has been discussed is the Caversham Road site, but it is unlikely this would provide the space required by the Force."

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